Originally debuting on the PlayStation 3, Everyday Shooter is a shoot ‘em up that may seem all too similar to the other titles within its genre. Designed from the ground up by Jonathan Mak, Sony picked up Everyday Shooter after seeing the potential it had as a downloadable game for their PlayStation Network. Now a year or so later, Sony has released this quirky shooter for the PlayStation Portable but not nearly enough changes have been made to fix the problems that originally plagued the title.

If you’ve never played Robotron or Geometry Wars, Everyday Shooter is controlled with input from two methods – and in this case, it’s the D-Pad and analog stick. This is a drastic change from the PS3 that had gamers utilizing the two analog sticks. The change affects the overall quality of the title as it loses a lot of its precision that the PS3 version had. With the lack of full control that the PS3 version offered, the PSP version won’t sit too well with the hardcore fans of the original.

Due to that it’s a standard arcade shooter that doesn’t venture far away from the norm, gamers might not find it an exotic departure from what they’ve already experienced in the genre. The premise of the title is based on the fact that you’re a small colored dot and you shoot your way around the stages to advance via collecting enough points. The minor problem that you’ll first notice is that collecting points is difficult since you’re a small dot on the screen. If there was a way to pull in the points without having to travel around the screen to collect them individually, then we may be talking a whole different ballgame here. Another issue that won’t sit too well with newcomers is that when you die, you’ll have to start all over from the very beginning as there’s no continue system in place to award gamers a second chance at the level. The only perk they can mess around with is the ability to give yourself more lives through the menus.

With only eight stages to play through, there’s not much replay value to hold onto after you’ve completed them. Each stage is unique with its own style along with enemies, but that isn’t enough to keep you playing past the first time you complete the game. Sure, changing up your style and adapting to the stage’s style is almost a must if you want to stay alive, but you should be able to learn the tricks of the trade within the first five minutes of each stage.

If you have played the original, you’ll know the biggest downside of playing it on the PSP is the lack of screens to show off frenetic action. Since it’s much harder to see your enemies and projectiles as they fly around the screen, expect some unusual deaths that you wouldn’t normally experience in the PS3 version. On top of this, there are also many unexpected slowdowns when the game can’t keep up with the amount of explosions occurring.

Lastly, and probably the most important aspect, Everyday Shooter employs an all-guitar soundtrack that isn’t overly complicated. The sound design is full of great sound effects that will keep your interest as you blast away your enemies and guitar riffs hit hard with every explosion. The only real downside of the audio is how repetitive it becomes beyond the first few stages. Melding the visuals and audio together, gamers should be able to find enjoyment out of Everyday Shooter.

Gameplay: 6.5
It won’t blow your mind when you first begin playing, but you’ll begin to appreciate the simplicity of the mechanics soon after.

Graphics: 7.0
While they aren’t astounding when you look at other visceral shooters currently within the genre, Everyday Shooter at least has the visuals matching up with the audio.

Sound: 7.2
The sound effects coordinate with the visual effects as guitar riffs are heard after every kill.

Difficulty: Medium
Varying on how adept you are with shooters, you might find it extremely easy or overwhelmingly hard.

Concept: 5.8
Porting this shooter to the PSP isn’t too much of a surprise nor was the standard game mechanics.

Overall: 6.5
Taking Everyday Shooter on the road is a nice attribute for fans of the game, but it’s not nearly as fun as it was when it debuted in 2007. Without two analog sticks, it’s not nearly as functional.